The Tattoo
by Stormchilde
Summary: Response to the challange How Harper got his tattoo.


Title: The Tattoo  
Author: Harper's Cat  
Archive: Yes, just let me know where.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or any of its characters. I don't make any money from this, it's just for fun.

Rating: G  
Setting/Season: Pre Andromeda  
Spoilers: None  
Warnings: None  
Comments/Feedback: Don't forget to feed the Cat!  
Summary: Answer to the 'How Harper got his tattoo' challenge.

"Hey Beka I'll meet you back here in a couple of hours okay?"  
They had just docked on Townsend drift.  
"What are you up to Shorty?"  
He looked insulted, "Nothing illegal."  
"Why don't I believe that?"  
He snorted and she smiled. "Go on, get outta here and have some fun. I'll see you back here in two hours."  
Harper ducked outside, looked around and then took off toward the marketplace.  
"Flexie freak." Beka laughed, "He reads too much." She checked to see that she had her credit chip and the list of supplies they needed then headed in the direction Harper had disappeared.

Harper wove through the crowded market, doubling back and looking frequently over his shoulder as if he were afraid he'd be followed. His earlobe throbbed where he'd managed after much cursing and some crying to remove the Nietzschean tracking device. He rubbed nervously at his upper arm, the tattoo there seemed to itch for some unfathomable reason.  
He paused briefly at several of the shops selling what he was looking for but quickly decided that each looked too clean and law abiding to serve his purpose. He walked further out into the fringes of the market, the shops began to thin out giving way to ramshackle bars and tenements. The people he passed glared and looked at him suspiciously. Harper kept his head down, shoulders hunched but his eyes were busy scanning for signs of danger and for the right type of shop. He finally spotted what he was searching for on the second floor of a run down structure. The stair way was lit by flickering lights, the stairs narrow and made dangerous by trash and broken steps. The cracked glass door had fading paint that proclaimed it to be the entrance to Majohr's Tattoo, Body Piercing, Beer and Mongolian Grill. 'Sounds like my kind of place'. Harper thought. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room smelled of stale alcohol and burnt cooking oil.  
"Whatcha' want kid?"  
Harper tried not to appear startled by the sudden appearance of the tall, muscular bald man.  
"I want a tattoo."  
"You come to the right place then, Come on in." The man turned and led Harper into a back room that was well lit and had pictures covering the walls.  
"Have a seat." The man gestured to an adjustable chair that reminded Harper of ones he'd seen in some of the drifts medical centers.  
Harper sat on the chair and tried to relax.  
"Know what ya want?"  
Harper swallowed hard, he'd not really thought much about design, just made plans to find a place to get one. "Uh, not really."  
"We got animals, hearts, skulls and tribal." He pointed to a group of pictures on the wall to Harper's right. "Take about three hours for the fancy stuff."  
Harper turned and scanned the wall, most of the single color designs were complicated and the riot of colors on the other ones made his eyes water.  
"Need somethin' simple and quick?"  
Harper turned back, the guy was eyeing him with a strange expression that made Harper's skin crawl. "Yeah," His voice cracked and he coughed, "something simple."  
"On your arm?"  
Harper nodded.  
"Let's have it then."  
Reluctantly Harper took off his jacket and pushed his sleeve up.  
"My name's Majhor." The guy rolled his chair next to Harper, "but everybody calls me Yor." He grabbed Harper's wrist and pushed the sleeve up higher. "Wantin' a cover on this un?"  
Harper gulped, "Yeah."  
"Looks like a Nietzchean camp tat." Using his other hand, he grabbed Harper's chin in a vice like grip, turning his head so he could see the healing wound on Harper's ear. "Coulda blowed your head off takin that out."  
Harper struggled but couldn't get away.  
"Take it easy kid, aint gonna hurt cha. I can give you something to put on that, heal it up without a scar."  
Harper slumped in the chair, "You'd do that?"  
Yor released him and tapped the tattoo on his left bicep, "Prescott." he said. "Didn't have a tracker but I've known a few others that did. I got just the thing to cover that." He handed Harper a page and pointed to a yin yang symbol. "Any colors ya want done in an hour."  
Harper smiled for the first time, feeling like a weight had lifted off him. "Red and blue?"  
"Good choice. Sit back and relax it'll be over before you know it." Yor reached over and turned on some music, it was loud with pounding drums and guitar.  
The humming of the needle seemed to blend in with the music and Harper barely noticed the discomfort of the pinpricks embedding the color into his skin. The itch was disappearing along with the anxiety he'd felt since leaving Earth.  
Harper started to drift off but Yor nudged him, "Here." He handed Harper a cold mug and he sniffed at the amber liquid in it.  
"Just a beer, you'll like it it's Hagermeister."  
Harper sipped cautiously at it and found that the cold liquid tasted better than he'd hoped.  
"Take it easy now lad," Yor laughed, "too fast and you'll get a mother of a hangover."  
Harper took a slower drink then asked, "Is it done?"  
"Almost. Sip slow and by the time you finish that I'll be finished with this." The needle buzzed again, "If you're hungry there's some beef Hollister there." He nodded toward the plate that had been set by Harper's chair.   
Harper picked up a slice of the meat and cautiously took a bite. It was slightly salty and had a smoky flavor but was tender and quite good. The onions and bell peppers were crisp and added a tangy flavor to the dish. Harper sat back and sighed.  
"Buzzen'?" Yor asked with a smile.  
"I guess." Harper replied feeling slightly silly.  
"Eat, then drink." Yor laughed.  
With a lazy hand, Harper picked some more food off the plate and tried to eat it. Most of it seemed to land on his shirt.  
"Keep at it kid, you'll be fine."  
True to his word, in an hour Yor had finished the tattoo. The big man helped Harper to his feet and led him over to a mirror so he could inspect the new tattoo. Harper flexed his arm and giggled drunkenly. "Shiny!"  
"You're welcome." He tucked a small jar in one of Harper's pockets. "There's instructions on how to take care of it. Put the cream on your ear three times a day and on your arm once a day. I wrote it down in case you forget."  
"How much," Harper hiccupped, "how much do I owe you?"  
"On the house kid." He waved at someone and Harper felt someone take hold of his arm. "Mishka will take you back to your ship, kid. Take care of yourself okay?"  
"Thanks." Harper slurred.

Harper woke up the next morning in his bunk on the Maru. Beka was leaning over him smiling.  
"Have a good time?" She asked.  
Harper groaned, "I can't remember."  
"Anytime you can't remember what you did, you must have had fun. I brought you some aspirin." She handed him a couple of tablets and a can of sparky.  
He glared at her.  
"Hey, you were back here and passed out when I came back, I knew you'd need it." She tried not to laugh.  
Harper took the offered drink and medication. "Thanks." He swallowed the tablets and set the can aside. His stomach was doing loops.  
"I see you got a tattoo." She turned his arm so she could see it better, "I like the colors."  
Harper blushed, "I got tattoos?"  
"Well I only see the one but if you want me to, I can check for others." she teased.  
"No!" Harper grabbed his aching head with both hands and said more softly, "No, thanks I'm sure I only got that one."


End file.
